The CAO Flathead line has been about my favorite CAO line since the acquisition. This one sounds especially tasty, with the San Andrés wrapper over the Broadleaf binder. I can think of a few cigars that I like with Broadleaf wrappers over Mexican binders, so I can’t imagine the inverse wouldn’t tickle my fancy. I look forward to trying these, even though they are priced on the high side.
CAO FLATHEAD V21
CAO is about to put the pedal to the metal with a souped-up follow-up to the wildly-popular V-19 blend. Called CAO Flathead V21, this new release was created by Rick Rodriguez and the CAO blending team in Nicaragua to kick the Flathead franchise into high gear.
Rick and the team selected a Mexican San Andres wrapper for the blend which also includes a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a bold selection of Nicaraguan and Dominican ligero tobaccos. They then gave each of the filler leaves an abbreviated fermentation to lock in the tobacco’s native characteristics and added a secondary aging process to the filler to bring everything together. The result is a cigar with a medium to medium-full profile brimming with distinctive molasses and leather notes, this time with even more depth and complexity.
“For Flathead V21, we wanted to give our fans a cigar that’s bold and complex, and still perfect for any smoking occasion,” said Rick Rodriguez. “We see this as the ultimate cigar for the CAO smoker who wants to experience the complexity of each tobacco with every draw. I’ve personally enjoyed V21 on its own and with a drink and have experienced different notes every time I smoke it. To me, that means we’ve done our job.”
Crafted at STG Estelí in Nicaragua, CAO Flathead V21 will be released in two sizes, and production is limited to just 2,000 boxes per size. The blend will only be available for a limited time and begins shipping to retailers on August 3.
The boxes that house CAO Flathead V21 are racecar red, with a bold black sash that culminates in the brand’s logo on the front of the box. Each box contains 27 cigars.
Carb V21 (6 x 60) – SRP per cigar $13.99
Big Block V21 (7 x 70) – SRP per cigar $14.99
Hope these get a smaller size and price point in the future.